AUTHOR: Thomas Karbe, Ann Sophie Schröder, Michael Kammal, Birgit Wulff, Klaus Püschel
KEYWORDS: Post-mortem tissue donation, tissue regulation draft, European tissue law, German transplantation law, German drug law
ABSTRACT: In line with the European guidelines of safety and quality standards for the donation, retrieval, storing and distribution of human tissues and cells the purpose of tissue transplantation was implemented into German legislation in May 2007. The Institutes for Legal Medicine of the University of Frankfurt/Main and the Hamburg-Eppendorf University Medical Center developed a model for tissue retrieval. The Institute of Legal Medicine (I.f.R.) in Hamburg cooperates with the German Institute of Cell and Tissue Replacement (DIZG). Among the deceased, the Potential Post-Mortem Tissue Donor (PMTD) is selected by standardized sets of defined criteria. Following identification of the donor and subsequent removal of tissue, the retrieved samples are sent to the DIZG, a nonprofit tissue bank. Here the final processing into transplantable tissue grafts takes place, which then results in the allocation of tissue to hospitals in Germany and other European countries. Harvesting of musculoskeletal tissues follows corresponding regulations. To verify the outcome of PMTD at the I.f.R. Hamburg, two-statistical analysis over 12 and 4 months have been implemented. Our results have shown an increasing number of potential appropriate PMTD within the second inquiry interval but a relatively small and unvaryingly rate of successful post-mortem tissue retrievals similar to the first examination period. Thus, the aim of the model developed by the I.f.R. is to increase the number of PMTD retrievals and to avoid any conflict of interest between organ donation and tissue donation.
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